1. Field
This invention relates to archery and is directed to arrow rests mounted in association with the handle riser of an archery bow. It is particularly directed to an improved such arrow rest which provides flexibility in all directions parallel the horizontal plane of the arrow prior to launch.
22. State of the Art
There has evolved a multiplicity of arrow rest structures, each of which has certain advantages. An arrow rest structure typically comprises an assembly adapted for mounting in association with a handle riser of an archery bow. It may be mounted directly to the riser, but versions are available for mounting to other structures which are then mounted to the handle riser. Typical of such other structures is the overdraw assembly which is widely used with modern archery bows. In any event, the assembly includes a holder, sometimes called a launcher, upon which the shaft of the arrow rests prior to launching of the arrow by an archer. This holder is connected to a support system, such as a base support attached to the handle riser, by means of connecting structure which maintains the holder in physical association with the base support.
The principal purpose of an arrow rest is to provide a stable support for the shaft of an arrow prior to and during launching of the arrow while avoiding interference between the arrow, particularly its fletching, and the structural members of the bow. The components of the arrow rest itself can cause interference with the fletching of an arrow as it passes the arrow rest. Accordingly, much of the attention in design of such arrow rests has been devoted to expedients which avoid or minimize contact by the fletching of the arrow as it passes the holder. In all currently available designs there remains some possibility for interference during launching. Such interference impacts negatively on the ability of an archer reliably to reproduce performance over a plurality of shots. That is, while the fletching of certain arrows may successfully avoid contact of the holder during several of a series of shots, other arrows may nevertheless be obstructed or dislodged from their intended course during the series as a consequence of such contact.
Current designs of arrow rests lack sufficient flexibility in the directions parallel the horizontal plane of the arrow prior to launching or during launching to adjust to varying circumstances confronted during a plurality of launches. Typical arrow rest structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,865,096; 3,935,854; 4,299,195; 4,332,232; 4,398,528; 4,476,846; 4,489,704; 4,492,214; 4,664,093; 4,676,220; and 4,686,956. None of the arrow rests disclosed by any of the aforementioned patents provide for adequate flexible motion under gentle pressure in all of the directions parallel the horizontal plane of the arrow during launching. Accordingly, it is possible with each of these, devices to cause interference with the flight of the arrow under circumstances which deviate only slightly from the design considerations of the device.
Conventional practice, and the practice followed in this disclosure, is to consider an archery bow to be oriented in an approximately vertical orientation so that an arrow nocked for shooting is held in an approximately horizontal position having a longitudinal axis which is included within an approximately horizontal plane. It is recognized that on occasion an archer will in fact shoot from an elevated location with respect to his target. In some instances, an archer may shoot uphill. In either case, the bow may in fact not be vertical with respect to the surface of the earth, but it is in any event considered to be in its vertically held position. Accordingly, reference herein to horizontal planes, horizontal axes, vertical planes and vertical axes should be understood as being with reference to a vertical plane containing the bow held in its normal vertical shooting position.
The archery bow arrow rest of the present invention may be embodied in a number of configurations, both with respect to the launcher or holder for the arrow shaft and with respect to the base support mechanism utilized for attachment of the arrow rest assembly in association with the riser handle of an archery bow. In any event, the connection mechanism, (the structure which connects the holder with the base support) is fashioned as a resilient post element with a substantially stable "at-rest" position wherein the longitudinal axis of the post element intersects the horizontal plane containing the longitudinal axis of an arrow when it is nocked with its shaft resting upon the launcher. That is, the post is generally upstanding, although not necessarily vertical to the base support. It is important that the resilient post element be sufficiently flexible in all horizontal directions (that is, in all directions parallel to the horizontal plane which includes the axis of the arrow shaft). The portion of the post proximate the arrow shaft must be urgible along any of those directions through the gentle force exerted by the arrow shaft during launching. This feature is particularly important as it applies to contact of the holder by the fletching of an arrow. While the post element easily withstands the compression forces exerted by the arrow shaft resting on the holder, it has little resistance to movement or flexure in any direction normal its longitudinal axis.
Although the resilient post element may be fashioned in various ways, e.g., as a coil spring or resilient elastic tube, it is presently preferred that this element consist of a single strand of flexible wire. This strand may be coupled to the base support by means of coils effecting a coil-spring linkage. It may also be attached to the holder or launcher element by means of coils to effect a coil spring linkage at each of its ends. Such linkages are preferred to avoid breakage resulting from repeated flexures.